The debut speech of the local MP Kirron Kher in the meeting of the General House of the Municipal Corporation led to ruckus with the BJP and Congress councillors exchanging heated arguments.

The local MP is the ex-officio member of the MC House. After getting elected, this was the first meeting of the House that Kher attended. BJP councillors moved a resolution to welcome her following which she addressed the House. It was a role reversal for the political parties with the Congress now in minority.

Kher criticised the past 15 years of Congress rule in Chandigarh and said that no development has taken. She said that there were several problems for which no solutions have been found. She said that the award won by MC for sanitation should not have been given as she found problems of garbage everywhere when she was campaigning.

Kher alleged that there was no co-ordination between the Administration and the Municipal Corporation and that several projects could not take off. She further stated that the MC was not utilising the funds that are being allocated to different departments. She said that she has been coming to Chandigarh frequently and the city can be made better.

She highlighted that there was shortage of water in the city, adding that she would get “another canal for the city”.

Congress councillor Subhash Chawla intervened and stated that while the BJP has provided her pointers to talk of, some of the issues were false. Chawla questioned which is the first canal in the city. He added that though there are pipelines that carry water, there is no canal.

Chawla further stated that since roles have now changed, fingers would be pointed at BJP is things go wrong. He added that they hoped to see Kher in all 12 meetings of the House. Chawla said that they would hope that no new tax would be imposed by the Administration with BJP at the Centre.

This was followed by ruckus, with the councillors leveling allegations on one another. Following this, the House was adjourned for some time.

The signs of factionalism in the party were visible at the meeting of the House as well. Kirron Kher went twice to the room of the senior Deputy Mayor Heera Negi. However, she skipped entering the room of deputy mayor Davesh Moudgil who is known to be close to senior BJP leader Satya Pal Jain. Kher met the Commissioner and other officials of the MC as well as all the councillors.